Merry-go-round



C. L. HANNAS MERRY-GO-ROUND Feb. 16, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 4, 1957 F 1960- c. L. HANNAS 2,925,272

' MERRY-GO-ROUND I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iii.- 5 V T? Filed Dec. 4, 1957 INVENTOR Carl L. Hahnos I 7 Carl L. Hannas, St. Paul Alberta, Canada "j upg ades n en1berf4,;1957,sei-ia sogjqassii This invention-relates to a merry-go-round and more particularly a inerry-go-round for children. s It is 7 9 propelling the Y-go-round about a single-vertical column. a V

Another object of the present invention is to provide a merry-go-round having a plurality of depending cargo-round bearing the above objects in mind which is of I simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is

inexpensive to manufacturgefiicient in operation and safe a A merry-go-round acc for children to use.. f

invention is to pro t s 'to my i vents-a prises a vertical'su'pport carrying bearingtmeans adapted to rotate about the support on its upper end d agh 7 CIOWillike, eating unit 16 having a central thrust bearv bject of the-present invention to provide a merry-go-round for children having self-containedmeans' v thj the present inventionis shown to, Include supporte t ereon in a suitable manner.

ingil 'lfrota'tably supported adjacent .to the' top of the column'13, is provided with a plurality of equally spaced apart radially outwardlyandfupwardly diverging pairs of arms 18; Each pair of arms, 18 supports-a separate I C r i e, 9.11 9 f p ra ins u re r propelling the merry go-round as will be hereinafter described. v

With particular reference to Figures '2 and '3 of the drawing, itvvill be noted that eachtcarriage 19, is carried upon the lower ends" of a'supporting member having a pair' 'of 'relatively rigid support rods 20 that are'pivotally.

connectedtattheir upper ends to a shackle 21 which is supported for rotation about a horizontal axis normal to the supporting arms '18 by means of 'a pivot pin 22. While the carriage itself may be of, anydesired shape and configuration, it is shown in the drawing to include a seat'24, a handle 25, and a vertical partition wall or' panel 23 which effectively separates the treadles '26 for safety purposes. In place of the handle 25, the carriage 19'may be provided with a hoop that may be hinged to the front of the carriage for movement between a normal horizontal position and a raised position to enable the child to get into and out of the carriage, but providing a back rest and safety ring for the children when the device is in use so as to prevent the children from falling ofi of the carriage.

The rear'end of each treadle 2 6 is pivotally connected 1 to the carriage bymeansof a hinge 27, while one end of a cable29 is connected to each of the forward ends of the treadles on each carriage. These cables 29 extend one pair ofarmsextending fromthevbearing means. A-

single suspension member is connected to theouterend of each arm by a first hinge permitting centrifugal emotion, and a second hinge i permitting circumferential motion of the suspension member. A carriage is fastened to the lower end of each suspension member, each carriage-having a pair of treadles. two oppositely positioned cranks is fastened to the vertical support and extends through and above the bearing means. Cable means are provided to connect the treadle of each carriage to the second crank,.whereby motion of the treadles causes the carriagesto rotaterabout'the vertical support. I r t y I e V In drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is an elevation of'a Jmerry -go-round; constructed according to my invention,

associated suspensionmernber-and arm, a

b Figure '4. is a detail showingthearrangeme nt of cables and sheaves at the outer end of one arm,-

Figure '5 is a sectional view taken on'theuline' 5-15 j of Figure 4, t Figure 6 is a sectional view taken'on-the linev 6-f- 6.

- of Figure '4, I I

Figure] isan end view of Figure 8 is a sectional Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on'the line 9 -9)}.

' '-when the merry-go-round accelerates. a a

of Figure 8.

Referring to Figure 1, a merry-go round 11 made in A crank shaft havingthe arm shownin Figure; V view;taken"on the linei8f8of upwardly intolengagement with pulleys 30"which are ro tatably.supportedupon'a pulley shaft 31 carried by the respective supporting arms 18. Guide sheaves 32 further guide the cables 29 into association with *thedrive mecha- 'nism'that includes a pair of eccentric circular crank plates 33, 34 located ate-diametrically opposite sides of the ver- I tical longitudinal axis of the'column' 13 and their associated mounting disc 36. The clevis. 35 which supports 3 the guide sheaves 32 is secured to the-arms 18, as is more 'can be made to rotate about the column'13 through the t l V '55 Figure 2'is a top viw of the embodiment shown in I a Figure 1, w l W H 7 Figure 3 is a side view of one of the carriages with'its clearlyshown in Figures 4 and 5. A loop guide 28 carried by the shackle 21 guides the cables 29 into engage- 'ment with the initial guide'pulleys 30. As the bearing unit 16 is rotated about the vertical column 13, the

cables 29 which are connected to the cranks 33 and 34 W111 be reciprocated back and forth, and alternately raise and lower each of the treadles 26. Conversely, in re sponseto the reciprocation of the treadles 26, the "unit cooperative working of the treadles by thechildren carried upon each of the carriages 19. 10f course, as the speed of rotation increases, the carriages 19' will be moved by centrifugal force to the radially outwardly dis; posed positions shown in broken lines in Figure -1.

The pivotal connection between the suspension member l consisting oifrrods 20 and the shackle 21 permits the care riage 19 to move backward and;forward'along the line of travel of the carriage 19. The combination of for: ward andbackward motion along the line of travel and {centrifugal motion ensures that the combined load of the carriage and its rider will be suspended through its "centreof gravity. This also ensures that all forces acting 1 onthe rider will be colinear with theaxis of the support 7 member and no undesirable torque couples will be 'develop'ejd. If the resultant force acting'on the rider and carriage'were not colinear with the .supportmember,

then the riderwould tend to be thrown from the carriage 7 While a reverse pressure upon the treadles'inay be'used i ed F b. 5+ 12a 1 I p ort 13 that may be'embedded in the ground I to halt the unit, a manually operable brake assembly is carried upon the unif'for theiiidiiiidiial' cane-dint each of the occupants. This brak-"e mechanism includes a brake drum 40 which is secured to the column 13 and a brake shoe 42 Secured to onefend of a he'llcrank I43 fhatfis carried upon abracket 45 secured to jeachp'a ir 'o'ff arms.

18. "Each bell crank is supported for movement/about the associatedpivotpin 44'in resp'onse'to ajpull uponithe connecting rope 47 that extends -"btween the opv'po'site end of each bell crank and the associated carriage 19. It is thus possible'for each individual child to stop the movement of the unit Whenever desired.

What I claim as new and desire to ,protect' 'by Letters Patent of the United States is: 7

I. A merry-go-rou'nd comprising, a vertical support, bearing means on the upper portion of said .suppo'rt adapted to rotate aboutsai'd support, at least. one pair of arms extending from said be'aring means, a single lsuspensionmember connected to the outer end ofeach-arm by a'first hinge permitting centrifugal motion of the suspension member and a second hinge permitting circumferential motion of the suspension member, a carriage fastened to-the lower end of each suspension member each carriage including a pair of treadles, acrank shaft having two oppositelyprisitiene'd cranks "fastened to "said vertical support and extending through and above said bearing means and cable means connecting one treadle of each carriage to one crank and the other treadle of each carriage to the second crank whereby motion of the treadles causes the carriages to rotate about said vertical support.

2. A merry-go-round according to claim 1 wherein the said cranks are formed as discs having their flat sides parallel to the cable means connecting to crank pins.

3. A merry-go-round accordingrto claim 2 including a brake drum on said vertical support, a brake shoe mounted on said bearing'means and adapted to bear against said brake drum, and brake shoe operating means adjacent each carriage.

References Cited in the file of this patent 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS 198,659 Millward 1366.25, 1377 540,127 WSt011 May 28, 1895 555,338 Rodehafer Feb.--2- 5, 1896 1,901,935 Swanson Mar. 2 1, 1953 

